Athens, Georgia's latest answer to neo-psychedelic electro-pop,
Reptar, expand on the amiable melodies and rambunctious energy of last year's debut EP,
Oblangle Fizz Y'all, with their first full-length,
Body Faucet. The band is as colorful, quirky, and freewheeling as its namesake -- a Godzilla-like character from the '90s Nickelodeon animated series Rugrats -- and on the new record they dig deeper into their worldbeat influences, adding an even sunnier sheen to their already exuberant sonics. But like the show that inspired their name,
Reptar aren't just fluffy fun; beneath their shimmering synths and hard-driving beats are stories of identity and relationships, forming connections not only on the dancefloor but in the heart. Take album opener and leadoff single "Sebastian"; its highlife guitar plinks and rousing choir of "ohs" give the impression of simple summer days, but the lyrics reveal a story of sexual awakening ("Succumbed by emotion I just don't care/I wanna sleep with you next to me/Show you what I want to mean"), while "Ghost Bike,"
Body Faucet's most outwardly pensive offering, reflects on witnessing and surviving a friend's death ("Nothing I can do or say/Fingers wanna touch you/My fingers wanna make you stay") against a restrained backdrop of piano and haunted electronic oscillations. Sometimes the concepts are more abstract, as "Orifice Origami" employs surrealist lyrics ("I was the last one, wandering, caught up in the river/I'm lucid and in disarray") and makes harmony out of buoyant beats and jagged guitar. And sometimes
Reptar just want to get down, best captured with the mischievous "Houseboat Babies," a sort of
MGMT-meets-
Daft Punk tune that proclaims, "All we want from life is big boy beds and a climax in our heads." That line really says it all;
Reptar aren't afraid to grow up but they're gonna have fun getting there, and with
Body Faucet they succeed in doing both. ~ Chrysta Cherrie